Friction-clutch.



Patented Nov. 4, 1902.

m. F. mnAHnN. FBICTIUN CLUTCH. (Apllzllictionfiled Feb. 27, 19013.)

2 Sheets-Sheet L (No lddel.)

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Painted Nov. 4,1902.

' M. F. MGMAHON; im

(Apprimion ma ren. 27, i902.)

'(Nn Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' F1545 ,8 u mw "Nunn STATES' .PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL F. MGMAIION,OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRlcTloQN-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,575, dated November 4, 1902.

V Application filed February 27V1902. Serial No. 96,030. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LMICHAEL F. MCMAHON,

a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachiisetts,haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches, ofY which the following, together with the accom# panying drawings, is a specification sulficiently full, clear, and exact to enable per! sons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the Sallie.

My present invention relates to certain features of improvement in the construction and' organization of clutch mechanism applicable to that class of friction gri p-clutches example of which is set forth and described in the Letters'Patent No. 520,447, dated May 29, 1894, heretofore granted to me.

The chief objects of my present invention are to provide facilities for accommodating' endwise'variations caused' by expansions in the shafting Without affecting the operating relation of the inner disk with respect tothe clutch-plates, to provide a dual-arranged draw-rod-actuatin g system of impro ved stru cture and combination,and to render the clutch more efficient, desirable, and convenient for use and in meetingthe various conditions of practice. I attain these objectsby mechanism of the character described in the follow-I ing detailed description, the particular fea-y of the disk-carrying hub. Fig. 4 representsv an end View of the clutch looking toward the front plate. Fig. is a front view of the yoke or transverse bar of the'yoke-lever, showing the draw-rod seats. Fig. 6 is a view of said bar, showing the draw-rod nuts and guardspring.

showing the jaw members which connect the Fig. 7 is a view of the inner disk,`

disk and its carrying-hub in transverse section. Fig. 8 shows an end view of the diskcarrying hub. Fig. 9 shows the form of the eye or central opening in the disk, and Fig. 10 shows a side and end view of the internal shaft-bushing ring. i

On the drawings the reference-numerals 1 and 2 indicate the shaftswhich are herein termed the primary and secondary shafts, the former being preferably and in this description considered as the driver and the latter as the driven member, although in practice the clutch mechanism is fully operative for transmission of power and motion in either direction or from either shaft to the other.

The body of the clutch comprises a front plate 3 and back plate 4.-, having inner pressing-faces and oppositely-projecting rims that "engage with each other by a series of indentations or means that cause the two plates to Y rotate in unison, while permitting endwise retraction and approach of the plates for gripping the disk in well-known manner. The hub of the front plate is fixed or keyed upon the shaft 2. The back plate 4 is of annular "form with open center and is carried by its rim concentric with the axis. The frictiondisk 5 occupies a position intermediate to the front plate and back plate, and annular pads 6 and 7, of vulcanized liber or other suitable friction material, are disposed between the respective faces of the disk and pressure-faces of the clutch-plates, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In accordance with my invention a diskcarrying hub 8 is keyed' or fixed upon the primary shaft 1, and said hub is provided at its end with a series of longitudinal recesses orjaws 9 and alternate lugs ordetents 10,while the center of the disk 5 is provided with an eye or opening l1, having jaw-recesses 12 and projecting lugs or detents'l3,adapted forintermatching with the vjaw members or detents.

upon the end of the hub, which is inserted endwise through the eye l1 of the disk,extending completely through or beyond the same, so that the disk is supported concentric and non-rotative upon the hub, while the hub can have endwise movement in the eye of the disk without disturbing their rotative relation. The endwise variations or expansion or contraction of the shafts is thereby accommodated without injuriously affecting the rela- IOO tion of the disk and clutch-plates or the perfect operation of the clutch.

The end of the hub 8 is made hollow or with a tubular bearing-cavity 14, into which the end of the secondary shaft 2 extends and is supported. (See Fig. 1.) Between the interior surface of the hub and the shaft I preferably arrange antifrictional bushing or bronze rings 15, (see Figs. l, 7, and 10,) fit-ted to rotate free and independent of bot-l1 the shaft and bearing-surfaces, so as to move or lie idle in respect to either surface. Said intermediate bushing is preferably made as a plurality of separate ring-sections--two are shown in the present instance-and said rings are best per-y forated radially with a number of holes for taking up and carrying oil. In any instance, if so desired, the rings 15 may be omitted and the bearing formed by the interior hubsurface directly upon the shaft 2.

The draw-rods 16 for closing the clutch are in my present invention arranged to work in dual order or coupled in pairs by means of yoke-levers 17in the mannerillustrated,which is essentially as follows: The front plate 3 is provided at or nearits periphery With integral or rigid projecting ears 18, and the yoke-lever 17is made with a pair of hinging-ears,between which the plate-ear 18 is received and the lever pivoted thereto by a transversely-disposed pin 19. This forms the fulcrum-axis of the yoke-lever. The ends ot' the yoke extend laterally right and left beyond the respective hinging-ears and are adapted for the connection therewith of t-he draw-rods 16 at points 20, somewhat forward of the plane of the pivoting-axis 19 This connection is preferably made by circular concaved seats 21, in which the adjusting-nuts 22 of the draw-rods are respectively seated, said nuts being shaped with a convex or spherical bed-surface matching said seat, and the opening 23 in the yoke` lever for carrying the draw-rods being formed of a funnel shape and oblong cross-section to permit a relative rocking action of the yoke-lever Without cramping the draw-rods.

The draw-rods are best made with T-heads 24, having rounded under surfaces that rest in transverse bearings or concaved seats 25 on the back of the clutch-plate 4, which is provided with bosses 26,havingfunnel-shaped` openings through which the draw-rods extend. The clutch-plates are fitted with suitable open-- ings or peripheral recesses 27 (see Fig. 2) to accommodate the draw-rods and to give space for their limited swing movement when the.

clutch is operated.

The yoke-levers 17 each have a projecting arm disposed at central position on the double-v ended yoke-bar, andthe bifurcated swinging ends of said arms are pivotally connected at 28 with the spreaders or links 29, the opposite ends of said links being pivotally joined at 30 with the shipper-sleeve 31, mounted upon the shaft 2 and movable thereon in Wellknown manner for controlling the action of the clutch.

The end of the link 29 is best formed with a lug or protuberant angle 32, Which abuts against the shoulder of the yoke-lever arm at the joint 28 (see Fig. la) and acts as a stop for the release movement of the clutch when the sleeve 31 is moved outward, bringing the links and yoke-levers to the positions indicated by dotted lines o on Fig. 1, which corresponds With the idle or unclutched position of the mechanism.

When the strain on the draw-rods is relieved, the clutch-plates 3 and 4 are pressed outward from the disk 5 and held apart by springs 33, arranged in recesses formed in the rims of the clutch-plates, said springs acting by expanding tension between the opposite rims, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In the present instance a clutch having two yoke-levers and pairs of draw-rods is shown; but it will be understood that in practice these clutches may be made with two, three, four, or six yoke-levers and pairs of drawrods, more or less, as desired, according to the size or diameter of the clutch-plates required for transmission of the power in any particular situation, the several pairs of draw-rods and sets of double-end yoke-levers and connecting-links being arranged in the manner above described and in radial relation to the axialshaft and slidable sleeve.

Combined with the draw-rods and their actuating and adjusting devices I employ a spring device for indicating adjustment and retaining the nuts 22 at position of adjustment. Said spring device is best shown in Fig. 6 and consists of a spring or resilient wire 35, secured to the metal or arm between the d raw-rods or intermediately adjacent thereto, with its ends extending outward and arranged to press with spring force against the flat sides of the nuts 22 at either side thereof. When adjusting the grip tension of the clutch, uniformity of adjustment at the several drawrods is readily attained, since the springs 35 serve as gages for each one-sixth revolution of the nuts, and the operator can thus calculate accurately by moving the nuts on all of the rods an equal number of sixths, the iiex of the respective springs being a true guide therefor. The springs also serve for keeping the nuts at their adjusted positions. The ends of the springs may extend directly outward, as shown, or may be bent upward to rest against the flat of the nuts at any desired angle or at any side thereof. In the present instance the spring-Wire is secured in a hole formed through the yoke-lever arm; but any other suitable manner of securing the wire can be employed, if desired.

In the operation the link 29, yoke-lever 17, and draw-rods 16 act as a dual toggle-joint system, the joints 30 and 2O being brought into straight alinement with directions of strain when closing the clutch-plates upon the disk 5, thus giving a rm unyielding grip thereon when set and releasing readily when the toggles are swung off their central IOO IIO

Vfrictional-faced front and back clutch-plates,

and means for closing and releasing said clutch-plates upon a disk; the primary-shaft disk-carrying hub `iiXed upon the primary shaft and provided at its end With jaw recesses and'lugs, in combination with the friction-disk mounted upon said hub and provided with jaw recesses and lugs intermatching those on the hub.

2. In a friction-clutch, in combination with the primary and secondary shafts, front and backfriction clutch-plates, inner frictiondisk, and means for closing and releasing said clutch-plates; thediskcarrying hub adapted to extend completely through the inner friction-disk `mounted upon said hub, the hub and disk'being rotatively united by interlocking members'that permit endvvise` variation in therelative `positions of the hub and disk without affecting the rotative relation of saidvparts. t

8. In a friction grip-clutch mechanism, the disk-carrying hub secured upon the primary shaft,and having its end provided With a bearing-opening `for receiving the end of the secondary shaft, said hub externally formed` with longitudinal jaw recesses and lugs, the friction-disk concentrically supported upon said hub and non-rotatively intermeshing therewith by recesses and lugs at its central eye, but free forendwisemovement thereon; in combination j with .theprimary and secondary shafts, the main clutch-plate secured upon said secondary shaft, the annular clutchplate interlockingly engaging saidmain clutch-plate, and means substantially as described, for opening and closing the clutch-plates for embracing and releasing the disk;

4. A yoke-lever comprising the double-end transverse yoke-bar, each end thereof provided with a,hole and concave seat for connecting and straining -a drawrod,palso provided with projecting fulcrum-hinging ears out from the line of said yoke-bar, and the operating-arm integrally formed with, and

projecting centrally from said-yoke-bar; inV

combination with the interposed frictiondisk, the clutch-plates, one of Which is provided With a` rigidly-attached hinge-ear, thefulcrum pivotpin arranged through said hinging-ears, the pair of draw-rods having the bosses or `nuts resting in said seats, and

means for actuating said yoke-lever,` sub1l stantially as set forth.

5. In combination, with. the friction-disk Vand clutchplates,the main clutch-plate provided with a rigid projection or ear-lug;` a rod-straining toggle or yoke-lever having dual rod-holding points, and provided With intermediate hinging-ears, the fulcrum-pin pivotally connecting said yoke-lever to the clutch plate ear, the fulcrum-axis being at some distance rearward from the plane of said rodholding points, the draw-rods arranged in pairs connecting the back clutch-plate with therespective Wings of said yoke-lever, the endwise-movable shipper-sleeve, and a toggie-link connecting the arm of said yokele ver with said sleeve.

6. In combination with the friction-disk and clutch-plates oppositely embracing said disk, the main clutch-plate `provided with a projection or ear-lug; the actuating-toggle or yoke-lever comprising an arm and transverse yoke-bar having ears pivotally fulcrumed to the ear-lug on said clutch-plate, said yoke-1ever having openings therein for receiving the draw-rods, and provided with concaved seats that form holding-points for straining said rods, a pair of draw-rods connecting the back clutch-plate and yoke-lever, said rods having rounded heads that rest in'suitable bearings on the back plate, adj usting-nutsthreaded on said rods and supported in said concaved seats on the yoke-levergand a shipper-com trolled means for rocking said yoke-lever to simultaneously strain or relieve the pair of draw-rods. Y

-7. In a friction-clutch, the combination, with the shipper-sleeve, clutch-plates, the friction-disk, draW-rod, anddraW-rod-actuating lever provided -with a shoulder; of a toggle-link connecting said sleeveand lever, and having the protuberant end 32 adapted for abutting against the shoulder' on said actuatingflever for limiting theretractive `movement of the sleeve and rodlactuating levers, substantially as set forth.` 4

8. The combination with the primaryand secondary shafts, the clutch-plates carried and secured on l said secondary shaft, and

means for operating the clutch-plates, as de-y rated unattached autifriction-rings disposed' around the end of the secondary shaft within the hollow of` said hub, all substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

Witness Vmy hand this 25th day ary, 190.2.

MICHAEL Fij"`MCMAHoNJ` `Witnesses: y t

GHAs. H. BURLEIGH, R. E. LIPPINCOTT.

ICO

of Febru-` 

